Tuesday, August 26, 2014

The Coelacanth – Unrecognized Proof of Creation:

Those who have read my book, “First Vespers,” will not be at all surprised to know that I do not believe that I am a descendant of a primate; or that fish once crawled out of the sea to become land animals; or that evolution is anything more than an adaptation within a given species; and yet, I am fascinated by the Coelacanth.




The Coelacanth is the most famous of all "living fossils" because it is the best known example of a "Lazarus Taxon", this is, animals that were supposed to be long extinct (66 million years previously) and were unexpectedly found to be alive. Coelacanths were supposed to have become extinct in the Cretaceous period, along with the dinosaurs, but in 1938, a live specimen was caught in South Africa; nearly 80 years after Darwin's publication, "On the Origin of Species." 

Coelacanths are large predators, up to 2 meters (6′ 6″) long; they feed on smaller fish, including small sharks, and are usually found in deep, dark waters. Although rarely captured, Coelacanths are critically endangered. They are nocturnal drift-hunters. Their body is covered in scales that act as armor. Coelacanths have 8 fins – 2 dorsal fins, 2 pectoral fins, 2 pelvic fins, 1 anal fin, and 1 three-lobed caudal fin. At the back of the skull, the Coelacanth possesses a hinge, the intra-cranial joint, which allows it to open its mouth extremely wide. The eyes of the Coelacanth are very large, while the mouth is very small. The eye is acclimatized to seeing in poor light by having rods that absorb mostly low wavelengths. The vision of Coelacanths consists of a mainly blue-shifted color capacity. The heart of the Coelacanth is shaped differently from that of most modern fish; the heart's chambers are arranged in a straight tube.The Coelacanth's auditory reception is mediated by its inner ear. 

Since 1938, more specimens have been seen and photographed, and a second Coelacanth colony was even found in Indonesia in 1999. On Sunday, August 24, 2014, I watched a documentary of this discovery on television with eager anticipation.  More closely related to lungfish, reptiles, and mammals than to the ray-finned fishes, Coelacanths have commonly been considered by evolutionists to be a transitional species between fish and tetra pods (four-footed species). The vertebrate-to-land transition is considered to be one of the most important steps in evolutionary history. I was curious to see how this “transitional species” would be explained by evolutionists now that it has been found to still be alive and virtually unchanged since first being documented in the fossil record, 66 million years ago.




The answer was simple. The Coelacanth is not a “transition species;” but rather, a species critical to our understanding the vertebrate-to-land transition. It was concluded that the closest living fish to the tetra-pod (four-footed species) ancestor is now the lungfish, not the Coelacanth. How can this be? The Coelacanth has enamel covered teeth and hand-like fins that connect directly to its backbone. Besides, the lungfish is already known to exist and according to the fossil record, has been around for 380 million years. This seems erringly similar to the circular logic that was used to convince all of Europe that the world was flat.

I am from the generation before evolution was taught as a fact and reinforced by everything that we read and see on television. To me, there is no greater proof of creation than the “transition species.” Two fish that have existed for between 66 and 380 million years without change tell me that there really isn’t much going on with evolution.

My Rambling Thoughts,

David

Monday, June 30, 2014

2014 ICRS Picture Journey



 ICRS Grand Entrance




 ICRS Exhibit Picture 1




 ICRS Exhibit Picture 2




  ICRS Exhibit Picture 3




ICRS Welcoming Banner




Deep River family in attendance at ICRS Conference after Author's Dinner on Sunday night. From Right to Left are: Bill Carmichael (Publisher / Founder), Nancie Carmichael (Publisher / Founder), Kit Tosello (Editor), Jami Carmichael (Marketing), Chris Carmichael (Marketing)




Jami Carmichael (Deep River Marketing) giving e-book advice to Mr. Doug Munton, Autor of, "Immersed - 40 Days To A Deeper Faith" in the ICRS Media Room




Dr. Aaron N. Hartman with his wife, Rebekah at a book signing for his book, "Adopted - God's Plan 'A'."




Publicity Poster For Book Signings



Nancie Carmichael, Deep River Publisher and myself in the Deep River Book Booth at 2014 ICRS Conference